Fostering the Forgotten

I could use this space to give you all kinds of numbers about how many unwanted animals are euthanized every year, both in our own hometowns and across the nation.  I could tell you about dogs or cats, or any pet really, that was left behind by the family that was supposed to love and care for them forever, whether abandoned at the shelter, left in an empty house, or thrown into the street to fend for themselves.  Those stories would surely bring you to tears, as many have done to me.  But instead, I’m choosing to bring you joy.  The kind of joy that animal rescues bring every day to thousands of pets that were forgotten.

I have been blessed to work with one such rescue in Peoria.  Foster Pet Outreach has been around for many years and have rescued more animals than I can count.  Any rescue out there has a team of the most dedicated people possible, and FPO is no different.  In my opinion, one of the best resources for animal rescue has to be foster homes.  I’ve spent the past few years photographing FPO pets, so I’ve seen first-hand the love that is freely given by the people fostering these pets that need love and a home and a family.

When I first started working with these foster families, I wondered how someone could take a pet into their home, teach it, care for it, and love it, only to give it away to virtual strangers.  When I made a statement to one of the fosters, saying I didn’t think I could ever give one up, she simply stated,  “Well Loni, what is the alternative?  For an animal to stay in a shelter and risk death.”  Well, that statement certainly stuck with me. 

Tears are shed many times over when a foster pet moves on with their permanent family.  But certainly these are mostly tears of joy as the foster family sees their purring foster kitty leave in the arms of someone who will love and care for them forever; or watches the smiling dog they have let sleep in their bed wave goodbye with their wagging tail on the way out the door.  But sometimes, the foster family will “foster fail”.  That simply means that they decide to make that pet a permanent part of their home.  Again, that’s joyful!

I want you all to meet some of these extraordinary people that open their homes to the forgotten pets, and to show you the smiling faces of the dogs that have been given new hope and a new life. 

Alyssa, wiith Quinn

Alyssa –

“I am the type of person that thinks every one of us leaves a footprint on this world. We all need to do our own small part to make it a better place.  My contribution is to foster and help make families complete. I serve in many roles, namely Foster Home Coordinator and on the Board of Directors, but I am also an active foster home. My daughter, Shai, and I love all dogs but Pitbulls and mixes of are our favorite. We notice a huge difference from the time they come to us to when they are adopted. In the time we have them, we love them and help them learn to be a part of a family. Shai is a former foster kid herself so she understands how important it is to make someone feel loved. We foster because we care. 

We foster because we love. Until there are none, foster one.”

Megan, with Tucker and Murphy

Megan  –

“I started fostering for Foster Pet Outreach back in May 2016. I have always been a dog lover, and had a shepherd mix named Tucker. I had been considering getting a second dog but wasn't sure Tucker and I were ready. I thought fostering would be a great way to socialize Tucker and give him a fur buddy to play with. It turned out to be so much more. It has been such a rewarding experience to help save these deserving dogs and find them forever families.  I get updates from the adopters on my previous fosters and love hearing how happy and loved they are. After a year of fostering, I "foster failed" on Murphy, a Golden Retriever mix that is about 8 months old.  So many people say to me "I don't know how you do it...I wouldn't be able to give them up." But when you find them that forever home and then get to save another, it is all worth it.”

Amie and her family, with Cooper and Ellie

Amie and family –

“We are a family that has rescued two dogs- a white lab named Cooper and a GSP- named Ellie- who came from FPO We originally wanted to add another dog to our family but when the puppy we wanted went to another home, we decided as a family to give fostering a try.  By doing that, we could save many more dogs lives. We have been fostering for a year and love it. We have saved 14 lives so far! We were hesitant at first, thinking it would be hard to give them up, but we've learned that we love to see them go to their forever families. We have almost “foster failed” on some of our dogs, but have found perfect homes for them that we couldn't pass up. I'm sure there will be a foster dog someday that we can't imagine living without, but until then we will continue to foster. We encourage anyone to give it a try. You will not be disappointed with the love you receive back from the animals and families who adopt them.”

Dianna, with Parker, Sammie, Bessie, and Kizzy

Dianna –

“I enjoy fostering for many reasons, but mostly because it has been so rewarding for me and my family.  It is very comforting to know that you have been able to help an abandoned or abused animal that otherwise would not have been given a chance. I started fostering with the intention of adopting just one, but now I have four ‘foster fails’... and yes, I still foster!”

Pam, with Vail and Magnolia

Pam –

“People always ask why I foster.  The answer is because I love animals! Saving a dog’s life is very important to me.  Our foster dogs bring out the best in me and my family.  The dog may enter our home shaking, filthy, and scared after being in a high kill shelter; or it may be a dog that a family had to surrender for financial reasons.  Whatever the reason, after the love, affection, socialization, and training they receive in our home, trust is established.  Then the dog is ready to begin its new life!  Part of the responsibility of the foster home is to make sure the dog finds the best home for its own special personality, whether that is the couch potato, the playful dog, the running buddy, or the snuggler.  It does not matter the breed - it could be a chihuahua or a bully breed or a lab mix, it is the foster home, the adopters and the rescuers that have the potential to make that pup or dog a part of a forever family.”

Denver, with Tyson and Kaiser

Ashley and Denver –

“Denver and I got started in fostering in the summer of last year. We had recently moved into a bigger home with a large backyard and had started to talk about getting a second dog as a playmate for our boxer, Tyson. But I knew I didn't want to get our second pup from a breeder. I had seen the great need for help in saving these lives. Our vet works with Foster Pet Outreach and encouraged us to get involved. A part of me knew that this was what we were supposed to do. There are certainly struggles and challenges with it, but the rewards are so much greater. People always say to us that they don't know how we give them up. We just know that most of these dogs weren't meant for us, but there's a wonderful home that's out there waiting for them and we are going to help them find it! Then, in January, our 'monkey' was flagged for FPO by mistake. He was this lovable one year old pit mix. We named him Kaiser. He had so many challenges dealing with 'happy tail' and there were several times that I sat on the floor and cried because I wasn't sure what to do for this dog to help his pain. The staff at TenderCare went above and beyond on this guy. Three surgeries and many sutures later, Kaiser came out with a docked tail due to infection from him chewing on his bandages, despite a cone. He didn't love going to the vet to say the least, and was quite possibly the biggest baby about it, but then he'd look at you with these big sad eyes, wiggle his eye brows and smile at you, and that was it. He wormed his way into our hearts and our lives.”

Chris and Frankie

Molly and Chris –

“We originally decided to foster because we were humoring the idea of adding a second dog to our family. Instead of committing to one dog forever, we agreed that we could do more good by sheltering multiple dogs over time and dedicating our time to finding their perfect forever home. Fostering has allowed us to provide a second chance to a good dog that would otherwise be homeless or euthanized. The cost for us is minimal: just shelter and love (and maybe some additional training in Frankie's case). In return, we get everything we wanted out of that "second pet" over and over again: unconditional love, and unlimited play time for our dog. There's an adjustment period for every new foster, and letting them go can be so hard, but it's ultimately a very rewarding and emotional experience.”

If you are interested in fostering animals for Foster Pet Outreach, contact them at fpo_email@fosterpetoutreach.org.

If you are interested in adopting one of the pets FPO has, you can complete a no-obligation application at fosterpetoutreach.org.

Embrace Yourself: Tell Me About Your Tattoos

For a few weeks, my blog will be featuring people in my life that have chosen to use their bodies as a canvas for art and for statements about their life, in the form of tattoos.  Although I don't have any myself (legit needle phobia), I still love them and have respect for people that choose to have them.  Every tattoo has a story.  I intend to tell theirs.  This is Heather's story:

"I've always had a colorful light to my being. Tattoos have been a way to express that colorful light physically with my body through art. Every time I look in the mirror I'm blessed with the constant and beautiful reminders of who I am and who I evolve to be. My heart fills and I smile. Then as morbid as it may sound, I find a strong therapeutic quality to the tattooing process through any pain I may endure. The emotional journeys some of my sessions, such as the chest area, has taken me on, have been very healing, helping me to release pent up feelings and emotions through an outlet that transforms those things into masterpieces. Some people see a therapist, I get tattoos. 

And just like everything has its special place at grandmas house, every tattoo has its special place on my body. All my work symbolizes the two things I have to live with for the rest of my life. Me and my family. At my roots you will find symbolism of my foundations. The relationship I have with my father, my childhood, who I was born as, along with the connections and support that would guide me. On my back you will find my siblings. Both in this life and the next, they will ALWAYS have my back! Then there's my chest and arms. When my hands connect in front of me, you see the portal of everything I am and evolve to be. A continuous circle and journey. From my heart space I bloom as a Goddess. (I get referenced as Greenheart Goddess often) Blossoming from the Goddesses before me, my mother and grandmother are represented as their favorite flowers, each giving me a hand of protection leading towards each arm. My left arm is the beginning of my growth. It is the obstacles, the rise, the loss of ego, and words to live by with the things that make me happy such as daisies and ice cream! As it meets the energy of my chest, its power is ignited by the light that sparks there and evolves into the cosmos of my higher being on my right arm. There you will find my manifestations, my magic, my mantra. 

Through the expression of who I am, I've fortunately never had to deal with any negativity towards my tattoos. My experiences with the world have been quite the opposite! The artwork and colors seem to bring so much joy out of others. It becomes infinite smiles and conversation starters and pass by compliments from strangers in the store. My favorite is the older generation. More often than not, they get super pumped and show me their old pieces they have hidden under their shirts! Without hesitation they always lift their sleeve or shirt up to share the excitement! Even at my place of employment in a Doctor's office, my artwork is accepted and appreciated! I'm very grateful, but I feel at the same time we've come a long way with society and acceptance of this art form. 

At this point in my life, I've got a decent amount of artwork, although I couldn't give an exact number because they have definitely begun to blend. And you can bet I have every intention of getting more because I'm still evolving. When I die one day, you will know my journey. The story will be right there in all its glory of color."

Embrace Yourself: Tell Me About Your Tattoos

For a few weeks, my blog will be featuring people in my life that have chosen to use their bodies as a canvas for art and for statements about their life, in the form of tattoos.  Although I don't have any myself (legit needle phobia), I still love them and have respect for people that choose to have them.  Every tattoo has a story.  I intend to tell theirs.  I would like to introduce my first subject. Well, subjects actually.  Meet Paul and Jeanine, and listen to their story.

Paul:

“While everyone's tattoo has specific meaning, mine sometimes is actually a lifeline. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2012. After years of wondering what was going on with my mind and actions, it was actually a relief to put an explanation to what I was feeling. What I have now come to understand are manic and depressive cycles used to confuse and frustrate me on a daily basis. The Semicolon movement started years ago as a symbol of mental health disorders. When an author writes a story, there are times when they can finish a thought with a period. However, there are also times when a thought is continued with the use of a semicolon to let the reader know that while they could finish the thought at that point, they have decided that the story must go on by the use of a semicolon. This small action has become a rallying cry for the mental health community. The semicolon is my daily reminder that while I could end my story right now, I have purposely chosen to continue my journey. My tattoo is strategically placed as a constant visual symbol that there is hope as I chose to continue my journey. When I made the decision to get the tattoo, I wanted the hope portion of the tattoo in my wife, Jeanine’s, handwriting. What I have learned in my journey of living with Bipolar Disorder is that the people that you love the most are the ones that typically have to deal with the cycles. They are your support and the people that bear the most burden of my actions. Jeanine could have easily walked away from our marriage because of the sometimes overwhelming burden that it places on her. Quite honestly, I would have not blamed her if she did. But instead, she chose to face the battle with me head on, side by side never missing a beat. That type of commitment and understanding is rare in any relationship. I felt as if I was a burden but she reminds me daily how much she loves me and that we are in this journey together. So my tattoo is especially important to me because of the symbolism of the semicolon showing that I chose to continue my journey, and my wife's handwritten message of hope reminding me that I am not embarking in this journey alone.”


Jeanine:
"My first tattoo is on my foot.  My son, Shane, asked me to go with him and get a tattooo.  Of course he thought I wouldn't go through with it!  Little did he know how determined I was.  I mean, when your 20 year old asks you to do something momentous like that, of course you do it.  The tattoo is a pair of connected hearts with Paul's initials and mine.  Perfect!  My left arm has 'i love you' with the lower case 'i'.  It's done in my daughter's handwriting.  She thought the lower case 'i' would bother me, because I'm such a perfectionist about grammar.  I told her it was just right, because that's how she always signed her name.  The tattoo on my right arm is the most significant of all that I have - a butterfly made from a semi-colon.  It was done to honor my husband, Paul, who has bi-polar disorder.  The semi-colon movement is powerful, and I am proud to be a small part of it to support the man I love."

Blogger's Note:  Paul runs a Facebook page as support for himself and others that struggle with bi-polar disorder.  Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/MyMindIsATerribleThingToWaste/?fref=nf&pnref=story